Chained
by Amakarai
Summary: She's Hinamori Amu. She can do so much, but no matter what she does, she can't escape from her father when he drags her to the mental hospital. Then again, she can't possibly take care of Tsukiyomi Ikuto, either... could she?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary****:** Hinamori Amu (or as she likes to call herself: 'Amy') is a level-headed girl who has always followed orders. How will she cope when her father assigns her to take care of Tsukiyomi Ikuto: a man with Stendhal Syndrome?

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own _Shugo Chara!_.

"Father, are you sure that a young lady such as myself should be wandering about alone in an area such as this?" I whispered. I was always cautious whenever I came to this mental hospital. I'm not kidding. It really _is_ a mental hospital I'm in.

This place was always so cold that it felt like my heart was going to stop at any time soon, now. I could almost feel it. It was as if I had swallowed a pebble and had not told my parents. And the smell was _awful._ Maybe some of these mental people are not only sick _mentally_.

"'Course I am," he answered me, writing on a piece of paper on his clipboard. "And you're not alone. I'm with you," he assured in his Japanese accent, grinning widely at me before continuing his walk to yet _another_ patient. This one was supposedly diagnosed with a severe case of 'Stendhal Syndrome' or whatever that is.

While we passed by, I was always looking at the glass wall at my right, just watching the birds fly and trees sway. I just barely got out of school on this beautiful day and my dad wanted me to help him take care of some old guy who I didn't even know. Just _great_.

It's such a shame that I'm not allowed to use my cell phone whenever I'm in here or else he'll confiscate it. Me, of course, being the little-miss-goody-two-shoes I was, followed his orders and stayed out of trouble.

When I was younger and my dad was always working, I stayed at my grandma's house and played at the nearby park. I would usually be talking with the boy that lived straight across from grandma's. We accidentally kissed once, but no one ever caught that.

He was about five years older than me. I haven't seen him in a long time. We used to love swinging on the swings, going up and down on the seesaw, and even climbing through those colorful obstacle courses. Well, I'm in Japan, now. I doubt that I'll see him again, although it would be quite nice to.

"Alright, father. Alright." I continued to walk with him, hands in my pocket, when my dad stopped. "Father?" And in a flash, he was behind me, 'fixing' my hair.

"Father, what are you doing with my hair?" I asked, upset. He just kept grinning. I didn't need to see him to know that he was.

"I'm just fixin' your hair, Amu," he assured. I felt him pulling and tugging on my hair in so many ways that hurt, I don't think that there's a way that he _hasn't_ pulled it in.

"Dad, dad, dad! Stop it!" I yelped as he attempted to fix my hair. He still kept on attempting to find a way to make it 'fixed,' but nothing in the world could have fixed it, now. He finally let go and looked at me while I was near bursting.

"Hmm… maybe you should've just left it in that pony tail…," he thought aloud. _Oh, wow. You actually thought for once! Congratz, dad! _I quickly fixed it into the original way I had it. Took about another minute as my dad kept on complaining about how girls take _way_ too long to fix their hair. That _hypocrite_.

I wonder why he was even _trying_ to pretty me up anyways. It's not like I'd meet some hot guy in the hospital and it's _definitely_ not like he _wants_ me to meet some hot guy here, does he? It wouldn't work anyways.

I mean, honestly. You could glance at me only once and say 'where the heck did _she_ come from?' I wore glasses although I had 20/20 vision. My face was pretty clear. I was wearing my detachable elf ears along with my lucky tiger-colored bracelet.

"And my name is neither _'Amu_' nor is it '_Amulet,' _father. It's 'Amy Hinamori.' Now, let's proceed to room 713 as we originally planned, alright?"

Alright, so I admit it. My name really _is_ Amulet (my nickname having been 'Amu'), but my mother always wanted to call me Amy… but she's not here anymore. Calling myself 'Amy' will be my… _memory_ of her.

I looked at the door to my right and here the room was; room 713. Well, what could possibly go wrong, right?

I've dealt with all the patients my dad had me take care of so far, so I'm _pretty_ sure that I can handle this guy. With a single sigh, I reached for the knob, completely unaware of what awaited my behind this door. And what I saw shocked me.

It wasn't the room that shocked me. It was what was on the bed. It wasn't even a 'what!' It was a 'who.' And this 'who' was on the bed; this beautiful blue-haired boy with stunning indigo eyes.

He was the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. He had creamy skin (with a few scratches here and there), eyes that neither sparkled nor seemed dim, and hair like a horse: messy, yet beautiful. He wasn't what _you_ would call 'perfect,' but he's definitely the definition of 'perfectly simple' to me.

He looked upon me with quite an odd look. Not an unfriendly one, but possibly one of… interest? Well, what would one find interesting in an unattractive girl such as me? I have glasses and have quite a few pimples. I was even wearing my school uniform, so there wasn't really much to look at.

My dad walked in past me, breaking our gaze from each other. It felt like he just broke a glass barrier or something. The man turned the other way as to not look at me father.

"Well, sir, it looks like you are okay," my father stated, walking towards his bed with the black clip board in hand. He was scribbling some stuff down while constantly looking at some machine that counted his heartbeats.

I walked further into the room, examining the various objects in the room. There was a window with steel blinds locked into place, a clock that was encased in soundproof glass, a small bundle of flowers in a blue vase on a wooden desk. That was honestly as colorful as it got.

My eyes averted to the open bathroom. There was a shower with glass but no curtains, a toilet, but no mirror. Why is that?

I peeped my head out of the room to check for any mirrors in the main room. The total number of mirrors in the room: Z-E-R-O.

I walked out of the bathroom, playing with my thumbs behind my back. This was my first time ever going into a room this… this _dead_. How would I put up with this?

I was surprised when the man called out my name.

"Hinamori-san, come here," the man ordered. His husky yet soothing voice sent shivers down my spine. It made me feel… _chill_. It sounded a little muffled, though.

My dad seemed surprised as well. It's as if he's never heard someone talk before.

I said nothing, but cautiously walked over to the patient's bed. I had no idea who he was, but I felt like I should trust him. He _is_ a patient, after all. It's the least I can do for him since he's trapped in this hell hole.

I finally got to the bed after about ten seconds, but he spoke again. "I meant to the _front_ of my bed, Hinamori-san," he stated, not being able to stand… something. I don't know what it was. I, being the naïve girl I was, followed his directions. As soon as I did, I took the closest plastic chair to me at the moment and sat down right next to him, still playing with my fingers, but in the front this time. My father smiled at this.

"It looks like you and Tsukiyomi-san get along, well, eh, Amu?" My dad teased.

"Yes," the man answered from under the blankets. His hand crawled out of the blanket and onto my lap, holding my hand. I was about to blush.

His hands were so cold and soft. Doesn't he know that someone would pay millions just to have skin like his?

"Well, then, I'm going to go ahead and leave you two alone while I go take care of a few other patients," he informed. "Amu, you can do your homework on that couch or wherever you like," he said, walking out of the room, but stopped at the doorway. "Oh, and one more rule.

"Do not let him leave room 713," he said, finally walking out and locking the door… leaving me in the room alone with the older man.

When my father left to room, the man yanked off the covers, and looking at me wide-eyed as I saw the heart-rate counter thingy was beeping faster and faster.

I panicked. I didn't know what to do! So I did the only thing I could do: put the covers back over him and looked up his problem.

After finding it in the book that was on the side table, I read it, still confused as to why his heart rate increased so rapidly.

'_Stendhal syndrome__, __Stendhal's syndrome__, __Hyperkulturemia__, or __Florence syndrome__, is a __psychosomatic illness__ that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even __hallucinations__ when an individual is exposed to __art__, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art is in a single place. The term can also be used to describe a similar reaction to a surfeit of choice in other circumstances, e.g. when confronted with immense beauty in the natural world.'_

What does that mean?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary****:** Hinamori Amu (or as she likes to call herself: 'Amy') is a level-headed girl who has always followed orders. How will she cope when her father assigns her to take care of Tsukiyomi Ikuto: a man with Stendhal Syndrome?

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own _Shugo Chara!_.

* * *

I looked at the man who had concealed himself (well, more like _I_ concealed him, but whatever) under the blankets.

What the hell was the guy doing? Did I do something? Did I _say_ something? Because I don't think I did.

I recognized his kind of eyes. That's the kind of moment I won't forget.

He came so close so quickly. And then his heart rate increased.

So he has this 'Stendhal Syndrome' thing and I have absolutely NO idea how to take care of him.

I set the book down on the side table gently and thought of how the heck I should do this.

Should I tape his eyes shut or just keep him under that blanket forever?

It's like he's been on with his whole life _without_ ever seeing a girl.

Or maybe it's just my hair. Pink is a very odd hair color.

In fact, it's almost _completely_ unattainable without hair dye except for a few people, specifically Haruno Sakura, my cousin Ran, Chiba Chibiusa, Third Princess Euphemia, Momomiya Ichigo, Takara Miyu-… Okay, so there are quite a few, but it's very uncommon, really!

I sighed, looking at where his face should be. I kinda miss him already.

He's _really_ got an amazing face.

Suddenly, his hand snuck out of the blanket and started stroking my right arm repeatedly.

…What the heck?

Then, I recalled the way he held my hand. It was quick, but his hand was soft yet quite cold. It was as if he'd spent his whole life in this refrigerator called 'room 713 of International Success Hospital.

…Okay, so it wasn't _that_ cold, but still cold enough to make me want to sit next to a nice little bonfire while drinking a cup of hot chocolate.

Come to think of it, I _am_ getting pretty hungry, but I can't leave the room… gah!

Wait… maybe he knows where to get food.

I looked at his hand, now hanging off of the side of the bed, so I just shook him, earning a muffled 'nani.'

What the hell does 'nani' mean?

"Uhh… what?"

"That's 'what' in Japanese, stupid." He was about to throw off the covers until I stopped him by pinning the corners of the blanket back down. 'Hey,' I heard.

"One: don't take off the blanket, 'cause apparently, freaky crap happens when you do. And two: do you know where I can find a snack around here?"

A few seconds passed by before I retracted back to my seat and received an answer.

"There're a couple marshmallows in the fridge under my bed. Maybe a few carrots and potatoes, too. And beef and peas." I looked at him oddly. Really now, who has a refrigerator under their bed? This is a joke, right?

Out of curiousity, I lifted a part of the bed covers to reveal a small fridge.

Now, this is weird. I looked at where his head should b-

…No. I looked at where his head _was_ and the thing starting beeping rapidly again.

Seriously, does this man even know how to listen? Well, he seemed more like a rebellious kid to me, anyways.

In a flash, I used the palm of my hand to cover his eyes.

"Bad boy," I scolded in a childish tone. I saw the blankets shift and was ready to pin them down again, but he only spoke.

"Sorry," he mumbled. I stayed quiet, not feeling the need to speak. "Your palm's soft," he added, breathing evenly once again.

I blushed at his statement. No boy has ever told me that until now. I'm starting to like this boy. I muttered a 'thanks' and looked away.

It didn't take too long before I glanced (more like stared) at him again.

His hair was so relaxed and soft; made me want to pet him.

For a second there, I was thinking that it'd be kinda fun to have a person like him as some kind of pet. I could just imagine ears and a tail on him; his head would be on my lap as he purrs softly.

I watched was the blanket went up and down with his breath.

I felt pretty sorry for him, me making him go back under the blankets like that. Even with his disease, he deserves to see something other than plain colors, right?

I felt like I should've said something first, but then he could be one of those people who make fun of you and don't stop until you move!

But then again, he didn't seem like that type of person, now did he? And everyone really _does _deserve a chance…

"I'm sorry, too," I apologized, smiling. "You can take off the blankets now if you want, but _please_ try to control your heart rate," I begged.

I heard two deep breaths before watching him reveal himself.

As he peeked out at me, I stared right into his eyes. That was the first time I took notice of them.

They looked as if they melted a sapphire and amethyst – absolutely astounding.

_Alluring_.

He returned the stare as heard the heart rate counter go fast, but slowed down once again.

Really, what kind of art is in this room that makes his heart race?

He places his palm in the middle of his chest.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Tsukiyomi Ikuto. And you?" He motioned to me and I inwardly gulped.

In each of his movements, he was so gentle. He seemed so delicate for a man. Seems like he really _is_ a gentleman.

"Hinamori Amulet," I replied smiling softly.

"Nice to meet you." He put his hand out for me to shake.

"Likewise, Mr. Tsukiyomi." I grabbed his hand and shook it ever-so lightly and let go.

"Please, call me Ikuto."

"Only if you call me Amy," I bargained. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why? I thought you said that your name is Amulet. And plus, I'd much rather call you Amu."

"Really?" I questioned, putting a finger to my chin. "I always thought that Amu sounded better, but oh well. Call me whatever you want, I guess," I mumbled, mostly to myself.

Normally, I would argue with the person, denying my true name, but he was an exception because… I don't know. Maybe just for sympathy? I honestly have no clue.

Well, for whatever reason it may be, it's creeping me out completely.

* * *

**Amakarai: **So, whatdya think?

**Ikuto: **It's pretty good, I guess. What the next chapter about?

**Amakarai: **Well, there's only a little Amuto in the next chapter, but you'll see that next week. I've already written it down and now, all I have to do is type it up!

**Amakarai: **And by the way, can you guys help me out here? My guy friend keeps on making these odd conversations and it confuses me. I can't really tell if he likes me more than a friend, but here's some of the situations/convos:

**Convo 1:**

**Him:** Who was your first kiss?

**Me: **No one.

**Him: **Well how about me?

**Situation 2: **

*puts his arm around my shoulder*

**Situation 3: **

*says 'I love you' to me* (in a joking manner)

**Situation 4: **

*plays with my hair*

**Situation 5:**

*offers to help me and partner up in projects*

**Amakarai: **There's probably a couple more, but I can't remember them all. It's _really_ killing me to have a peace of mind knowing or not. Oh, and please R&R! :D Muah~!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary****:** Hinamori Amu (or as she likes to call herself: 'Amy') is a level-headed girl who has always followed orders. How will she cope when her father assigns her to take care of Tsukiyomi Ikuto: a man with Stendhal Syndrome?

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own _Shugo Chara!_.

* * *

I already got out of the mental hospital and I'm now on my way to Tadase-kun's house for _dinner_.

No, I didn't mean it like _that_, you perverts.

I saved his butt in volleyball today and he invited me to dinner.

And dinners at the Hotoris' are _always _extravagant.

Suddenly, my mind drifted off to that man again.

He seemed about a year older than me, so it's no surprise how he helped (well, actually he did all of the work) me with my homework, but who actually teaches him? A descendant from Einstein?

He did it all within two minutes flat!

Maybe I'll get him a present.

Now let's see… what do guys like anyways? As far as I know, they like cars and motorcycles and video games.

Okay, I've come up with a theory; and that is: I'm. Completely. Hopeless.

Looks like I'll just have to ask Tadase.

Finally, I reached Hotori territory.

Here comes another near death experience.

Don't get me wrong. Like I said before, the dinners are absolutely, positively _scrumptious_! But still…

It's their dog.

They used to have a big, nice, shaggy dog named 'Betty,' but she died about a month ago after getting bitten be a snake in the garden.

The same week, they found a golden lab.

It was cute and sweet and small, but after that car that almost ran Ame (yes, they wanted to name their dog after me, and that was as far as I was willing to let them go) over, she became… violent.

I was still on the other side of the fate, listening closely to the dog's barks and growls. Today, the monster sounded angrier than ever.

To get to the front door today and still be alive would be a one in a _trillion_ miracle!

I sighed as the mouth-watering dishes that they would be serving today popped into my mind: buttered lobster, Crème au Chocolat, one of the BEST fruit salads I have EVER tasted, very berry dumplings, and my special Choco-Lush recipe, each of them being under 100 calories a serving!

"Eh? Hinamori?"

I whipped my head to see the school's biggest heartthrobs: Kukai Souma and Nagihiko Fujisaki. And today, they were wearing _tuxes_.

I've heard rumors that those two were apparently 'competing for my heart' and Rima and Utau are single yet stubborn girls with crushes on them, so why not kill… _three_ birds with one stone?

I put on the cutest face I could, straightening and dusting off my clothes, then gave them my undivided attention.

"Kukai-kun, Nagi-kun, can you two do me a favor?" I batted my eyelashes and pasted on a pout.

They suddenly looked shocked, but excited.

"Sure!" kukai and Nagihiko shouted in unison. They were best friends, so they pretty much play fair when it comes to their love interests.

"Well, I didn't _want_ to have to ask, but Rima and Utau have been having all this trouble in P.E. and Drama and I'm _way_ too busy."

I saw an uncomfortable expression appear upon their faces.

Of _course_ they'd rather spend time with me, but I guess I'll just have to wing up an excuse.

"A-and you two are _so _smart. Could you, please?" I made the most innocent face I possibly could that my face started to hurt.

They looked at each other, then at me.

"What do _we_ get out of this?" Nagihiko asked.

Yeah. They're a little too smart to make a deal like this with.

"Okay, fine! You don't have to, but can you two at _least_ help me get to Tadase's front doo-"

And they sped off with our arms locked, toward my destination.

They made a perfect team! Nagihiko weaved through everything while Kukai was practically made of speed.

And within two seconds flat, all three of us were inside. How these two did it, I don't know, but they were _amazing._

So why did I reject them the first time, again?

Oh, yeah. They have about half of the city's population fawning over them and 25% of those people are vicious.

And that's only the _city's_ population. They both belong to an international soccer team, too.

I caught my breath after a while, but Kukai, Nagihiko and I were soon tossed into a room. It was a traditional-looking, yet modern room with the tatami mates, futon n' all.

Gettung up from the floor, I looked at the blonde boy. But why was he panicking?

"I'm so sorry, Hinamori-san!" He apologized. "I told them that I needed to talk to you as soon as possible, but I didn't think that Karai-kun ('I'm a girl!' was what you could hear in the background), Kurai-kun and Kirai-chan would just dump you all in here." Tadase got off of his futon and helped us all up.

"I thought that we were only going to have dinner," I chuckled, placing my hands on my hips. He was going to speak before I interrupted. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" He blushed madly, looking off to the side.

It sounds like a confession of love.

"I don't know how to tell you all this, but…"

"What? No way…

I can't accept this! I don't even like him like that! Plus, he's going out w-

"I need yo-"

"I can't!" I screeched. He seemed shocked and worried.

"W-why not? Please don't tell me that you like me more than a friend and refuse to help me propose to Yaya-chan!" He hoped.

That's rig-… Wait… WHAT?!

Kukai and I were surprised, but it seems as if Nagihiko has known all along.

"Really?" I now had sparkles in my eyes. I absolutely _love_ playing matchmaker!

He slapped his mouth, embarrassed that his news came out so suddenly.

"N-n-no! I… uhh…," he sighed, giving in. "Yes…"

I was so happy, but the two 'dogs' behind me just _had_ to ruin the moment.

"Dude, _I'm_ only a sophomore… and a year older than you," Kukai lectured. "Why now?" Tadase blushed even more.

"Well, I talked to her parents two years ago and they were fine with it. And I don't feel safe knowing that she is all alone in an empty house." Tadase never felt comfortable when saying the words 'my girlfriend.'

Yaya Yuiki's parents left for a year long trip two months ago. They even took her little brother, but they thought that it would be okay to leave her alone like that. Poor girl.

"You sure about this, Hotori-kun? If you're worried about Yaya-chan, you can always just invite her over and think about this later."

You know, Nagihiko was always the motherly figure, Kukai was the fatherly one and I was the sisterly one.

"No… no. I feel as if I need to do this. Also," he started, digging for something in both pockets. He made an 'ah' sound when he found it.

Pulling it out, it was a peachy-pink velvet case with what I'm betting was a peachy-pink ring inside of it.

He only proved me right when he lifted the lid.

The diamond in the middle sparkled so beautifully against the setting sun which was at about 30 degrees right now.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed, admiring the well-crafted ring.

But that's when I remembered something and slapped myself.

The boys turned their attention towards me.

I looked back at all three of them.

"Daijobu, Amu-chan?" The three asked in unison. I wonder how they did that…

"Daijobu, daijobu," I answered, making a face that said '_sure. Let's go with that.'_ "Do you guys know what a man in a mental hospital with 'Stendhal Syndrome' would want as a present?"

They looked at me as if they've actually heard of it, then turned around with their arms crossed, smirking.

"As if we'd tel-"

"There's a really nice doll shop downtown."

"Tadase!" The two shrieked. I'm guessing they were going to hold that information as ransom…

"My old friend had the exact same thing. I'm positive that he'll love one, especially from you."

I could hear Kukai and Nagihiko complaining that I belonged to them and 'not some sick, mental guy who has a fetish for dolls and young girls.'

"Guys, guys, chill!" I ordered. They immediately stopped. "Well, I gotta go before that shop closes, so I'll see you guys tomorrow." I started to head towards the door.

"I'll escort you!" Kukai offered, hurrying to catch up with me.

"Not without me, you won't," Nagihiko stated. "Plus, you don't know the way to the shop." Walking towards us, he added, "who knows. You could end up in some dark alley, get knocked unconscious, the BOOM; you're pregnant."

Okay… that was one of the most odd and disturbing comments I have ever heard.

On second thought, scratch out the 'one of.'

As the door bell rang, Tadase spoke.

"W-wait! You're supposed to help me with my proposal!" He whined.

I turned around with a smile of assurance.

"Don't worry. You're her boyfriend. You should know more about her than anyone else does," I stated, continuing my walk out.

"B-bu-"

"You'll do fine," I added. I left without another word with the two idiots following me step-per-step.

* * *

**Amakarai: **Yeah, I only corrected a few things on here and updated it again. I'm kinda a grammar freak. So what?

**Rima: **No one said anythi-

**Amakarai: _YOU_** shut up!

**Kukai: **And Fujisaki and I are going after Hinamori _why_... ?

**Amakarai:** Ugh. It's JUST a part of the story! Deal with it!

**Amakarai: **Plus, it'll end up as Yayase, Rimahiko, Kutau and OBVIOUSLY **AMUTO** in the end! Anyways, _please_ tell me if there are any mistakes I made in any chapter... even if it's really late, I'd appreciate it so I can fix it. ^^ For now, R&R~! Ja ne~!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary****:** Hinamori Amu (or as she likes to call herself: 'Amy') is a level-headed girl who has always followed orders. How will she cope when her father assigns her to take care of Tsukiyomi Ikuto: a man with Stendhal Syndrome?

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own _Shugo Chara!_.

* * *

Today, I got up at 3:30 AM so I could shower, get dressed for school, and stop by the mental hospital.

I couldn't give him the doll yesterday because my curfew was at 7:00 sharp and it was already 6:58 when I finished, anyways. I figured that I would visit him because no one seems to spend much time with him.

Since visiting hours were from 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM, I just thought…

Never mind. I don't even know what I was _thinking_, getting up this early just to drop of a stupid-looking doll.

Its head and body weren't even proportionally sized!

Honestly, it looks like a doll you would donate to a poor kid.

Well, he technically _is_ a poor kid, but there's no one that really seems to care about him, so I decided that I'll just have to be the person _to_ care.

Now, I was debating whether the doll was a nice enough present.

A second later after deciding against it, I ran over to my jewelery box, hoping that I had at least _one_ item that would look goot on the boy.

Lifting the let gently, it revealed a shiny pink and blue velvet interior (most of it being covered by the sparkly trinkets) while music was heard, emitting a soft tune.

"Hmm… what would he like?" I asked myself.

I shifted through pearl necklaces and golden bracelets, sapphire rings and ruby earrings, but nothing seemed nice enough to give him.

Finally, I found a beautiful charm bracelet with the shape of a diamond, spade, heart and clover (which I used when I was younger in magic trick performances including cards).

When I looked at it, something felt off.

It seemed as if it was missing something, so I shuffled through the various charms in there.

Adding my own personal touch, I slid on the strawberry charm and smiled…

Until I remembered that this was a present for a **boy**.

I can't give him _this_ girly thing!

And this is an especially-made bracelet that I created.

And I know _very_ well that it's almost _impossible_ to remove.

And even if I did, I wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good charm.

Instead, I just added a cross charm.

I turned it in all these directions, seeing if there were any flaws.

Looking at it, I frowned as I realized that only _girly-girls _wear stupid things like charm bracelets.

That's why I don't wear them.

I threw that being me, not caring where it went.

When I heard the thump, I thought 'well, that'll be that last time I see that horrible thing.'

I turned around in what was first disappointment, now shock as I looked at the doll.

The hair was a little messy, seeing as it fell from the bed onto the floor.

Not only that, but the _charm bracelet_ was being used by the doll as a _necklace_.

How exactly does my hand-eye coordination work?

The sun hit the cross charm in a manner that a warm light emitted from it.

It was so… I can't even find a word to describe it.

I walked towards the delicate little thing and picked it up like a new born child.

It looked _okay_, so I lowered it down gently into my purse and rushed to the hospital.

**~*~**

By the time I got there, it was a few minutes after six, but you start to regret rushing things when you finally realize that you forgot something.

And in my case, it was a cold winter morning when I forgot my jacket.

My JACKET!

Why don't I just go back to the subway station and come back later after school?

Oh. Right.

I'm an idiot.

Well, there's really no reason in going back now, so might as well…

I signed in and took the elevator since he was on the seventh floor.

When I opened the door to room 713…

…He wasn't there.

Something seemed awkward.

I didn't think that he'd be the kind of person to try and escape from what he knows he can't.

And what was it that my dad said about patients with a severe case of anything? Something about them being moved from room to room every now and then?

Yeah, I think that was it.

So, how do I found out where he is?

It's obvious that if they moved him every so often, they'd have a reason behind it.

And why is it that they move anyone with a severe case of anything like that?

That, to me, would be considered rude; especially if there's someone who cares about them.

How am I supposed to find out where he is now?

"Excuse me, but what are you doing here?"

I turned around to see a girl with hair like Nagihiko's.

She stiffened for a second. I wonder why…

"Actually, I'm looking for a friend of mine. Blue hair, indigo eyes, has Sten-something Syndrome…"

"Ah, yes!" The nurse chimed. "I believe his mother had him checked out of the hospital just an hour ago."

What? I… didn't even see him more than twice.

"Oh, okay," I replied, looking down.

So he was actually admitted out…

But there's only one thing I must do before I believe that…

My dad always has me check if the person working here actually _does_ work here.

"By the way, what does the 'A' stand for in International Success Hospital's Code of A?"

This time, the nurse stiffened even more.

"I-I'm not allowed to give information to people who are in no association with this hospital."

Now, I knew that this person was a faker.

"Oh, are you sure?" I asked, smirking. "Because if you've worked here for at _least_ an hour, you'd know that I'm the daughter of President Hinamori Tsumugu: Hinamori Amulet." I stated. The nurse's eyes widened.

"Y-y-you're lying! And plus, I just got the job here a few minutes ago!" 'She' fought back.

"A few minutes ago, was it?" I asked. I looked at the clock in the background. It read 6:23 AM. I gotta wrap this up and get to Ikuto's room. "Well, you know what? I don't have time to put up with fake nurses like _you_, Fujisaki Nagihiko, but just another piece of evidence that you're lying: you said that you started working here a few minutes ago and you also told me that he was check out about an hour ago." I finished, running past him and about to turn a corner. "Ja ne."

Knowing Nagihiko, he wouldn't let me get away _that_ easily.

Another thing about him is that you'd almost _never_ see Nagihiko and Kukai apart…

So it seems as if I'll have to put up with two rats.

I made a quick turn at the part of the hospital that was _meant_ for things like this.

Kukai and Nagihiko barged in only fifteen seconds after I got in here. I watched them from afar.

"Dammit… where'd she go?" Kukai asked as the two dogs ventured into the maze with tall walls in search of me.

"What idiots," I mumbled, climbing back down. When I was only five feet from the ground, I jumped and went back out, in search of my blue-haired acquaintance.

Boys are _such_ suckers for a cute girl, huh?

I'm not even that _cute_.

Wait a second… that's it!

Now, for my plan to work, all I need is a boy around here to deal with.

For about seventeen minutes, I waited for a male nurse to pass by until I finally got up and decided that I should look for one to 'accidentally run into.'

Alas, I saw a boy around my age with glasses and sea-green hair, walking this way.

His face read 'shut up. I lost a bet.'

I hid behind a corner.

This plan is flawless!

But I still, I'm not sure if this would be the right thing to do.

Taking the doll out of my bag, I couldn't help but think: Was this man really worth caring for?

No one cared for him before, so why should I care now? When my m-

…No. I had to do this; just like how Tadase had to propose to Yaya.

Ikuto never had anyone or anything to cheer him up.

This is the _least_ I could do.

If I can be the one to be there for him, I'm sure that he'd appreciate it.

I took in a deep breath, ready to turn to the boy, but I didn't expect to bump into him that suddenly.

I quickly rolled on my side so I could get out of the boy's way and let him hit the floor before we could get into one of those creepy uncomfortable anime positions.

I didn't mean to crash into him!

Okay, okay. It was intentional at first, but…

You know what? I'll just shut up now.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" I apologized. "I didn't mean to." I dove to the ground and picked up the now broken glasses.

What could I do then? This guy's probably furious at me for making his day much worse than it needs to be.

"That's quite alright," he spoke in a surprisingly calm tone, trying to feel around for his glasses.

You know, his glasses looked a lot like mine, so I took mine off and placed it on him.

His eyes widened as if he's seen me somewhere before.

"And you must be Hinamori Tsumugu-sama's daughter: Hinamori-"

"Amulet," I introduced.

After Ikuto started calling me Amu, I realized that it didn't matter much as to how people call me, so I introduced myself as 'Amulet' this time instead of 'Amy.'

Why did you think I let Tadase call me 'Amu' last chapter?

I didn't really mind too much, but only _Ikuto_ can call me Amu (I only decided this when I bought the doll). I get to call him 'Neko-kun' (because his hair's like a cat's fur).

He dusted off his uniform and cleared his throat as if he were a businessman. Cool.

"Yes, I believe the one you are looking for is Tsukiyomi Ikuto-san?"

Stalker much?

"Actually, yes. Would you be so kind as to lead me in the right direction?" When he responded, it was very gentle, but strong.

"I'm terribly sorry." I frowned. "But I am unauthorized to give away that information."

If Ikuto stayed alone, he may lose it eventually. I know I probably would have.

But I'm _such_ a little-miss-goody-two-shoes, so I guess I don't really have a choice.

"Oh, I-"

"BUT," he interrupted, taking out a key, "if I were to drop the keys while throwing it up in the air…' he started, doing so and watching it hit the ground with a 'clank.' "Then I'd try to get the key while the authorizations pass and Tsukiyomi-san's record fell out of my pcket, then there wouldn't really be anything I could do-"

"Kairi-kun!" A voice called while I saw a man with orange-brownish hair and glasses rushing this way.

The boy, now known as Kairi, quickly shoved the items towards me, put his glasses back on and whispered a soft 'go.'

Only doing what I was told, I hurried to Ikuto's room with the key and pass in my hand.

Halfway there, I realized that I did not yet know what room he was in. I took out the folder, wondering what other information this folder held.

When was he born? Where did he grow up? Who were his parents?

So many questions that could be answered with this folder.

To open or not to open? That was the question of the moment, but I had to go against my will.

Whatever secrets he's keeping, it's none of my business. He'd share them if he wanted to.

If I'd ever have to read this for his own god, then that's another story.

The only thing that I checked was the room number and sped off for it.

Within no time, I made it to room 1217, I threw in the gift and closed the door.

When I looked at the watch…

…It was already 7:01 AM.

I'm… _late_?

* * *

**Amakarai: **Well, I know this chapter kinda sucked, but just be happy that there is one!

**Ikuto: **It's not worth our time if it sucked.

**Amakarai: **You may be hot, but you're still annoying.

**Ikuto: ***smirks* And that's what you all love me for.

**Amu: **Anyways, what's with the (sorta) late update?

**Amakarai: **It's Philippine Time.

**Amu: **Huh?

**Ikuto: **I don't follow.

**Amu: **Neither do I.

**Amakarai: **Whenever things happens in the Philippines, it's almost always like… an hour late. I'm in Philippines.

**Ikuto: **Suprises me how you speak well English.

**Amakarai: **Well, Philippines is kinda screwing up my English. Plus, I was living in U.S. for the first 12 ¾ years of my life, so… yeah.

**Amakarai: **I'm also working on a new story! I'll still be continuing this one, so don't you worry! And all my ideas are _completely_ original. You'll see. ^^ Ja ne!

**Rima & Nagihiko: **R&R!

**Amu & Ikuto: **WTF? Where'd you two come from?

**Amakarai: **Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that the new story will be **Ri**_Ma_Hi_**Ko**_!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary****:** Hinamori Amu (or as she likes to call herself: 'Amy') is a level-headed girl who has always followed orders. How will she cope when her father assigns her to take care of Tsukiyomi Ikuto: a man with Stendhal Syndrome?

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own _Shugo Chara!_.

* * *

Only God could predict what the teachers would do to me, especially since I have Soshina-sensei as my first teacher. To the student that showed up _one_ second late, she led him to a room and… well, no one really knows.

The kid didn't speak.

He even _transferred _after that.

Everyone's scared to go against him.

None of the teachers ever believe us.

I shivered at the kinds of things she would do to me if she realized that I was late.

I'm supposed to leave at exactly 7:00 AM to get to school. It takes exactly 25 minutes if I walk. Since school starts at 7:35, it gave me just enough time to hang my book bag on the side of my desk and travel around the school which meant that neither Kukai nor Nagihiko could find me in time.

But since I was _late_, Kukai and Nagihiko were right outside the front gate (they have the right to do that since they're also part of the student council known as 'Guardians') and escorted me to class before going to their own.

I could only imagine…

I opened the doorknob and saw my teacher:

Amakarai –sensei.

And you wanna know the weird part?

She was smiling _very_ creepily.

And by that, I mean the kind of smile that makes you _immediately_ back away from someone.

"Why, good morning Hinamori-san. Take a seat~!" She said in a sweet voice.

Woah. What happened to the fire-breathing dragon?

I wonder if she was replaced by some alien and it's here to enslave the human race, then return to its original form and return our teacher afterwards so it doesn't have to deal with any laws and such.

I walked over to my seat and looked at the teacher who was right now talking about… relationships?

"Now, class, I would like to know; if you have a boyfriend and girlfriend, please raise your hand."

There was Mayuko, Kaoru, Temami, Zakaru, Mochi, Yume, Sumazi…

Oh, damn.

Almost _7/8 _of the whole class!

The only ones who weren't raising their hands were Rima, that outcast girl that skips classes a lot (I think her name was… oh, right. She never mentioned her name), Aiko, Mr. E (the outcast girl's twin), Cody (he's Japanese but his mom's an American) and me.

Rima was waiting for Nagihiko, but she didn't want to be the one to go after him, She wanted _him_ to go after her. She wanted to play hard to get.

With me as bait, she could probably lure Nagihiko into a haunted mansion, make me get lost, then replace me and end up as a couple.

She said that she just needs a few more 'puppets.'

Rima's not really my friend, but I do help her out a lot. She's as close as I can _get_ to a friend, though.

The outcast was very mysterious which made her the center point of attraction, but she has always avoided being too close to…. Well, anyone.

Siyugono Aiko was the one with _all_ the latest gossip and she was the Ace's chair of the Guardians. Kukai took King's position and Nagihiko took Jack (Nagihiko claimed that Jack was less boastful compared to king, but not to tell Kukai).Queen's chair is Rima (only because her fan base requested it. Otherwise, she would have not gone along with it because it would contradict a bit with her 'plans').

Mr. E was the same as his sister, but they were _never_ in the same place at the same time.

I bet that they begged for it or something.

Oh, yeah. I forgot that Tadase was in this class. Yaya was in the other one.

Wait… why wasn't he raising his hand either?

Could it be that Yaya rejected the offer?!

No… Yaya's too kind to do that kind of thing. She may be babyish and dependent, but she'd never deny something like what Tadase did.

But still… he wasn't raising his hand.

I'll have to ask him at lunch.

"Now, why don't you all get into two lines: one for boys and the other for girls."

Everyone seemed weirded out by the way she was acting, but did so within a minute.

She smiled, admiring her work.

"Yes, yes. Now, today's health lesson will show that people's heart rate increases whenever they see something or someone that catches their interest." She closed her eyes, tilted her head off to the side, smiled, and held a finger up, saying "You never know. Maybe, you'll find out if the person you really like likes you, too."

Quite a few people blushed and looked off in different directions.

Some looking at places other than their boyfriend/girlfriend.

Ouch.

"So, who shall we start with?"

**~*~**

"Well, well, well," the teacher scolded slightly while skimming through the list. "It seems like a few of you could be going out with someone soon, now isn't that right?"

I got bored of listening to her and looked out of the window.

I watched as a cute lavender butterfly fluttered away into the distance.

Now, wasn't that butterfly lucky?

Almost everyone looks at it in admiration. People want to play with a butterfly.

You may not look too different from any other butterfly, but whether you believe it or not, your beautiful.

When you're just a caterpillar, people are almost _scared_ to be near you (well, the majority of girls are anyways), but when you transform into a butterfly, almost everything changes.

You get wings to fly and beauty to follow.

It's as if you were made by magic.

Now wouldn't that be just wonderful?

Come to think of it, Ikuto is never free, so I guess that I should be more thankful.

I wonder what he's thinking right now.

Probably threw the doll away since dolls are only used by girls.

Guys use 'action figures.'

When I looked back into the classroom, I realized that it was Napapansin-sensei.*

Uh oh.

I had to hurriedly get out my book and ask what page they were on.

Then, I took my pencil, notebook and textbook and headed for the library.

No, I wasn't skipping classes.

Have you ever gone to school and known that a teacher wasn't actually going through the lesson, but instead talking about herself?

That's exactly how she he is.

And he knows absolutely _nothing_ about the topic we were supposed to be discussing.

When I got to the library, I went to the very back and pulled out my good old guardian cape to use as a blanket and placed the book over my head.

**~*~**

When I woke up, it was already the end of school. I didn't really care anyways.

Well, time to go home and change. Then, I'll go visit Ikuto.

**~*~**

When I got to my house, I called out "Tadaima!"

Of course, no one answered. No one really cared.

I looked at the family portrait right above the fire place.

I hated it.

**I HATED IT!**

I took my leather shoe and aimed for the vase below it, watching it smash into pieces.

Shards flew and one actually slashed through my right arm.

Didn't matter anyways.

Little salty droplets fell down once again.

Drop after drop; it was like a river.

I looked at the wretched woman who left me.

Who left Tsumugu.

Who threw away everything after a simple mistake!

I didn't do it, goddamn it!

It wasn't my fault!

My sister… my mom… Just too painful.

And the worst part of losing my mom and sister…

I heard my dad come it without any greeting and walked past me up the stairs.

…Was that I lost my dad without losing him.

I did all I could when I found Ami drowning. I swam in after her even if I knew I couldn't swim.

I tried calling for help.

But everything's always too late, isn't it?

And even my mom didn't believe me. She only yelled at me and slapped me. She didn't do anything!

All she did was watch as both of us drowned.

I mean, if it wasn't for the life guard that happened to pass by, I would've been killed.

It was really too bad that he couldn't save Ami, though.

She's my sister and I would do anything for her.

My dad… my dad just took everything in at once.

Nowadays, I find myself with multiple cuts on my feet thanks to the shattered glasses in the kitchen.

I've told them both sorry multiple times, but….

Forget this.

I need to go out for some fresh air.

I need to go see Ikuto.

* * *

**Amakarai: **Yet _another_ crappy chapter. This chapter was only to help you understand what Amu has been going through and why she's so determined to help Ikuto.

**Amakarai: **Yeah, I know that this chappie isn't that great, but I promise that the next chapter is almost _ALL AMUTO!_Chyea, babeh~!

**Ikuto: **Is she alright?

**Amu: **Only on Saturdays.

**Amakarai: **And I was thinking, you know how my guy friend and I have multiple quarrels? Do you think I should post them up… but kinda re-edit them into Amuto moments? Bahala kayo (It's up to you). Oh, and here's another thing;

He also pinches my cheeks, then says: You're so cute.

Me: *think* What happened to *insert guy friend's girlfriend's name here*?

:/

Oh, and Napapansin is used to describe a person who always wants attention (Root Word: Pansin = Notice)


End file.
